Will Guilford embodies the spirit of high school dramatic arts. With over three decades of experience, he has helped to shape generations of Santa Cruz County artists. For the spring production at San Lorenzo Valley High School, he teamed up with Daria Troxell — another local luminary — to direct a maximalist vision of the famous musical “Grease.” The skillful directorial duo was in attendance (and in costume) on opening night greeting eager theatergoers to a production they were proud to present. In front of a packed house, over 60 students (on stage and behind the scenes) collaborated on what can only be described as a major feat of high school theater.

“Grease” is a musical that has big dance numbers, and Sarah Nash’s choreography made for fun and energetic performances by teenagers enthusiastically playing another generation’s teenagers. There’s something uncanny and satisfying about seeing a play about high schoolers performed by high schoolers. Despite the differences that time has brought, there is a strong connection to the spirit of what it means to be attending a high school in the United States. The fashion has changed, but the high jinks are the same, and they brought all the boisterous energy necessary to make the dancing in this musical work.

The songs are also a major challenge, and Nicki Kerns coached superb performances out of her leading actors and their chorus of supporting acts. This singing was accompanied by a five-piece band named The Tinkle Tones that kept the energy upbeat. Especially moving were two solos: Betty Rizzo’s “There are Worse Things I Could Do” and Sandy Dumbrowski’s “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee (Reprise)” performed by Olive Huxley and Nita Wright-Anderson, respectively. These two young women each held the stage and captivated the audience with heartfelt lamentations expressing their existential plights. These were powerful performances from two promising young actors.

The guys were great, too. Bradley Nowatzki played Danny Zuko with ample swagger and boyish charm. Henry Crandell’s deep voice made his Kenickie Murdoch believable and tough. Cody Bumbaca-Thomas, Liam Armitage and Dimitri Tsyrganovich Lamendella played the comical greasers Roger, Sonny and Doody, aka the Burger Palace Boys, with style and humor. They lit up the stage with personality and made an entertaining counterpoint to the Pink Ladies, Rydell High’s fictional girl gang.

Marty Maraschino (Adria Mikolyski-Coulson), Frenchy Facciano (Dean McFarland) and Jan (Juliette Maurerman) form a fierce core of the Pink Ladies with Marty and Frenchy each having monumental songs to perform. Marty’s “Freddy My Love” is a peppy pop song about her infatuation with an older man who is in the military but substitutes his presence with gifts. Mikolyski-Coulson plays the experienced Marty with charisma and poise. Frenchy’s song is “Beauty School Dropout” and McFarland plays the part with attractive self-consciousness in a number that is both melancholy and magnificent.

For much of the night, the stage overflowed with dancing and the theater was rocking like a concert hall. It was amazing to see so many young people performing together in complicated dances. In some scenes, more than 20 people were on stage together moving in perfect rhythm. The scale of the production was momentous.

The creative design was also remarkable with several elaborate sets. The production even included Kenickie’s car Greased Lightning, which was a fun element to see in action. “Grease” is a well-known musical and it takes a courageous team to pull it off. The ensemble at SLV have done a remarkable job of making it a big and beautiful spectacle to behold. Bravo to everyone involved in making this such a fun and memorable work!